Google Maps users can now see when their bus or train is overcrowded

A Google Maps update going live in 18 UK towns and cities today will allow mobile phone users to see how likely their bus, train or tube is to be overcrowded.

The new feature uses data from past rides to calculate the likely crowdedness of a given service, allowing passengers to decide whether to “squeeze on, or wait a few more minutes for a vehicle where you’re more likely to snag a seat.”

The app is also gaining a second new feature which uses real-time information to alert bus passengers to delays along their route.

In a blog post, Google says: “You’ll now be able to see if your bus will be late, how long the delay will be, and more accurate travel times based on live traffic conditions along your route.

“You’ll also see exactly where the delays are on the map so you know what to expect before you even hop on your bus.”

Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Coventry, Crawley, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Reading, Sheffield and Southampton are among 200 international cities which will benefit from the new features which go live on both Android and iOS today.